The present disclosure provides an intelligent lighting control system. A first light control module of a plurality of light control modules determines a time of day. Each light control module in the plurality of light control modules configured to cause a transmission of a quantity of electrical energy to a lighting circuit of a light fixture electrically connected to the respective lighting control module. Occupancy at the first light control module is detected after a specific time of day. The flow of electricity from one or more light control modules in the plurality of light control modules is changed to change the flow of electricity to the respective lighting circuits connected to the one or more light control modules to turn off the respective light fixture based on the occupancy detection the time of day.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of controlling a plurality of light control modules comprising: transmitting a command from a first light control module to a second light control module, each light control module configured to control a flow of electricity to a lighting circuit having a corresponding light fixture electrically connected to the light control module; determining a time of day; detecting occupancy at the first light control module; in response to receiving the command, using a sensor and checking for a registered mobile device to detect room occupancy at the second light control module; and after a specified time of day and in response to sensing no activity by the sensor and failing to detect presence of a registered mobile device at each light control module, changing the flow of electricity to the lighting circuit to turn off the corresponding light fixture, and causing, at the first light control module, one of leaving on and turning on at least one corresponding light fixture connected to at least one of the light control modules.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a quantity of the light control modules.
3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a time of a last room occupancy detection at each light control module.
4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising determining a last light control module to detect room occupancy.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the one of leaving on and turning on the corresponding light fixture comprises one of leaving on and turning on a light fixture connected to the last light control module detecting room occupancy.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein using the sensor to detect room occupancy comprises sensing via one or more of an infrared sensor, a time of flight sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, and an optical sensor.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the infrared sensor is a passive infrared sensor.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein detecting room occupancy by checking for the registered mobile device comprises sensing a Bluetooth signal.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor comprises a camera.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein checking for the registered mobile device comprises transmitting a Bluetooth signal.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein checking for the registered mobile device comprises determining whether the registered mobile device is within a geo-fence threshold.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining whether the registered mobile device is within a geo-fence threshold comprises determining a position of the registered mobile device via a global positioning system.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining whether the registered mobile device is within the geo-fence threshold comprises determining whether the registered mobile device is connected to a wireless access point located in a building in which the plurality of light control modules is located.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each light control module is configured to change the flow of electricity to the lighting circuit in response to sensing no activity by the sensor within a specified period of time.
15. A method of controlling a lighting control system comprising: determining a time of day at an initial light control module of a plurality of light control modules, each light control module in the plurality of light control modules configured to cause a flow of electricity to a lighting circuit having a corresponding light fixture electrically connected to the light control module; detecting room occupancy at the initial light control module using a sensor and checking for a registered mobile device after a specific time of day; and in response to detecting a positive occupancy at the initial light control module after the specific time of day, sending a command from the initial light control module to one or more other light control modules to change the flow of electricity from each of the one or more other light control modules to the lighting circuit to turn off the corresponding light fixture based on checking room occupancy at a respective one or more other light control modules before turning off the corresponding light fixture.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy using the sensor comprises sensing via one or more of an infrared sensor, a time of flight sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, and an optical sensor.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the time of flight sensor is configured to detect a change in a time of flight of a transmitted signal.
18. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising precluding turning off the corresponding light fixture where positive room occupancy is detected by the respective one or more other light control modules.
19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein checking room occupancy using the sensor at the one or more other light control modules comprises sensing via one or more of an infrared sensor, a time of flight sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, and an electromagnetic sensor, and an optical sensor.
20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein checking for the registered mobile device comprises determining whether the registered mobile device is within a geo-fence threshold.
21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein determining whether the registered mobile device is within the geo-fence threshold comprises determining a position of the registered mobile device via a global positioning system.
22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein determining whether the registered mobile device is within the geo-fence threshold comprises determining whether the registered mobile device is connected to a wireless access point located in a building in which the plurality of light control modules is located.
23. The method according to claim 20 , wherein determining whether the registered mobile device is within the geo-fence threshold comprises transmitting a Bluetooth signal via the one or more other light control modules.
24. The method according to claim 16 , wherein changing the flow of electricity from each of the one or more other light control modules comprises gradually reducing the flow of electricity over a specified period of time to dim the corresponding light fixture.
25. The method according to claim 24 , further comprising precluding the corresponding light fixture of the lighting circuit of each of the one or more other light control modules from turning off in response to detecting a change in occupancy while diming the corresponding light fixture.
26. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy by checking for the registered mobile device comprises at least one of: a. a determination of whether a mobile electronic device is within a preset proximity to a building within which the lighting control system is located based on a GPS signal from the mobile electronic device, b. a connection state of a WiFi connection of the mobile electronic device configured to establish a steady connection to a wireless access-point of a building within which the lighting control system is located, and c. a connection state of a class of Bluetooth of a mobile electronic device configured to connect the mobile electronic device to the one or more other light control modules of the plurality of light control modules.
27. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy using the sensor comprises sensing via an infrared sensor.
28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the infrared sensor is a passive infrared sensor.
29. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy by checking for a registered mobile device comprises sensing a class of a Bluetooth signal.
30. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy using the sensor comprises sensing via a sonar sensor.
31. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy using the sensor comprises sensing via a camera.
32. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting room occupancy using the sensor comprises sensing motion from the registered mobile device.
33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein sensing motion of the registered mobile device comprises obtaining a reading from an accelerometer of the registered mobile device.
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September 6, 2017
April 6, 2021
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